web identity policies
official vs. non-official sites
The University seeks to provide an environment that encourages access to knowledge and the sharing of information. As stated in the University of California Policies Applying to Campus Activities, Organizations and Students, “the University has an obligation to maintain conditions under which the work of the University can go forward freely, in accordance with the highest standards of quality, institutional integrity, and freedom of expression, with full recognition by all concerned of the rights and privileges, as well as the responsibilities, of those who comprise the University community.” Affiliated organizations, faculty, staff and students may wish to publish on the WWW. They are governed by this document. Pages published by independent operators, including affiliated organizations, students and faculty do not necessarily reflect the views of the official units of the University.
Official UCSF Websites
Official sites are those that officially represent UCSF programs and contain official content targeted at external and internal users and audiences. Examples include, but are not limited to schools, administrative and academic departments, laboratories, academic programs, organized research units, institutes, centers, units, faculty practices, registered campus organizations, chancellor's committees and subcommittees, and UCSF Medical Center and all of its organizational components. They are governed by UCSF policy and guidelines and are accessible through the A to Z list hosted on UCSF's main site. In addition, their domain names must end with either ucsf.edu or ucsfhealth.org.
E-commerce sites (those focused on facilitating transactions with third parties) are considered official UCSF websites. These sites provide products or services to UCSF customers in exchange for financial consideration either by credit card or other electronic currency. E-commerce sites are publicly available, but the financial transactions are highly secured.
In addition, two web subtypes fall into the classification of official UCSF websites:
Intranets: These sites are accessible only to a defined group of the UCSF community (e.g., UCSF Medical Center or the School of Medicine). Access to these sites is usually controlled through IP filters, but might require a username and password. Intranets provide administrative or unit-specific information and are not meant for external users or audiences.
Secure sites accessible to defined student or employee groups: Sites configured with already purchased software that cannot meet our policies will be grandfathered in and made exempt. However, a condition of purchase of any proprietary software acquired after adoption of this policy must include the ability to incorporate UCSF web identity elements.
Non-Official/Personal Webpages
If there is personal content hosted on a UCSF server, these websites and pages reflect the owner's personal interests. These pages are not accessible through the A to Z list hosted on the UCSF main site or included in the UCSF search engine. Individual websites are subject to all existing laws and University and campus policies. Note especially that sites on Unviersity servers may not be used to promote personal business or to provide personal financial gain, except as permitted under applicable academic personnel policies. Personal sites may not give the impression that they are representing, giving opinions or otherwise making statements on behalf of the campus or University or any unit thereof unless appropriately authorized (explicitly or implicitly) to do so. Personal websites will not display the UCSF logo or banner and will not be indexed by the UCSF search engine. An explicit disclaimer will be included unless it is clear from the context that the author is not representing the campus or the University. The minimum disclaimer is:
“This is not an official UCSF website. The opinions or statements expressed herein should not be taken as a position of or endorsement by the University of California, San Francisco.”
